Chapter 5 - Honor and Shame vs Guilt and Innocence
Discussion Questions
1. Reflect on the quote, “You are who you are when no one is looking”. You may have seen this on a poster at school or heard it recited by your parents as a child. What is this phrase teaching children? Do you agree or disagree?
2. “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” / “It is the tall poppy that gets cut down.” Which of these quotes comes from an American author and which is a Chinese aphorism? How could you tell?
3. Read 1 Corinthians 5, does Paul’s approach seem harsh to you? How would these words affect the church in Corinth (In the context of an honor/shame culture)?
4. 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 says, “6 Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little leaven[a] leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as indeed you are. For Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed.” Based on this passage, is sin corporate or solely individual? How does this change the way you view the sin of your brothers and sisters in Christ? How does this change the way you see your own sin?
5. How does God convict the Corinthian believers? Is conviction solely internal or does God use others to convict us toward repentance? Spend some time praying through when others pointed out an area of weakness, when you felt shame, how did you react? How is God using others to convict you now?